Sun Yingsha of China hits a return to Miwa Harimoto of Japan during the women's team final at the 27th ITTF-Asian Table Tennis Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Oct. 9, 2024. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)

World Table Tennis (WTT) has announced the introduction of the WTT Youth Grand Smash, starting from 2025.

According to WTT, the new tier in youth events will feature U15 and U19 boys' and girls' singles competitions. Each event will bring together 32 of the world's top young talents competing for ITTF world ranking points.

WTT Youth Grand Smash events will, where possible, be integrated into the WTT Grand Smash event calendar, allowing young athletes to compete alongside the world's elite.

"WTT Youth Grand Smash marks a bold step forward in our mission to nurture the future stars of table tennis," said WTT CEO Steve Dainton. "Through these events, we are offering young players an unparalleled platform to showcase their talent on the world stage. This initiative not only elevates the competitive experience for youth athletes but also ensures that the next generation is inspired and ready to carry the sport forward."

As for other tournaments, the WTT Youth Star Contender events will be streamlined to three competition days, with boys' and girls' events running concurrently. This new format offers the possibility of hosting a WTT Youth Contender (four-day event) and a WTT Youth Star Contender (three-day event) in the same week, further expanding the global reach of youth table tennis.

In consideration of the WTT Youth Series calendar in 2025, WTT anticipates up to four WTT Youth Grand Smash events, up to eight WTT Youth Star Contender events, and between 40 and 60 WTT Youth Contender events.